Fuel injection apparatus



Nov. 22, 1960 J. w. CASSELL ETAL 2,960,976

FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS Filed March 31, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 22, 1960 J. w. CASSELL ETAL 2,960,976

FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1958 United States atent 2,960,976 FUEL INJECTION APPARATUS James W. Cassell, 4814 E. Pima Ave., Tucson, Ariz., and

Andrew W. Graybeal, Los Angeles, Calif.; said Graybeal assignor to said Cassell Filed Mar. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 725,387 8 Claims. (Cl. 123-119) This invention relates generally to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines and particularly relates to a compressed air fuel vaporization and injection System for an internal combustion engine.

Conventional fuel injection systems incorporate an injection pump to force the fuel into the combustion chambers of the engine. one such pump for each cylinder of the engine and, as these pumps are expensive, the cost of these fuel injection systems is very high.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and inexpensive system for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide inexpensive and improved apparatus for vaporizing and injecting fuel in an internal combustion engine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus to supply bursts of compressed air to fuel injection apparatus in timed relation to the cycle of an internal combustion engine.

A still further object or" the invention is to provide novel apparatus for automatically varying the timing according to engine requirements of bursts of compressed air supplied to fuel injection apparatus in timed relation to the cycle of an internal combustion engine.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a fuel injection system comprising a plurality of fuel injection stacks, one for each intake port of the engine with which it is used, each stack having a tube in Which is a nozzle. Means are provided for distributing bursts of compressed air to each tube so that the compressed air may draw fuel from the nozzle. There is provided means for timing the bursts of compressed air to the cycle of the engine and means for automatically varying the timing of the air bursts according to the varying requirements of the engine.

For a better understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like v parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an internal combustion engine employing a fuel injection system embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the engine of Figure 1 partly in section, illustrating the construction of the -fuel injection stack employed in the fuel injection system of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the distributor employed in the fuel injection system of Figure 1, illustrating the construction of the ignition distributor and the method of securing the compressed air distributor thereto; and

Figure 4 is an exploded view illustrating the construction of the compressed air distributor employed in the fuel injection system of Figure l. Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown an internal combustion engine which may be, for example, an automobile engine. The engine 10 is of the type having a fuel mixture intake port 12 for each cylinder or combustion chamber 14. In accordance with the invention, each intake port 12 is provided with a fuel injection stack 16. The fuel injection stack These systems ordinarily provide ice Each of the fuel injection stacks 16 is provided with a compressed air tube 18. The compressed air tube 18 may be a length of tube or conduit open at both ends. The interior of the compressed air tube 18 may be formed to define a venturi tube. The compressed air tube 18 communicates with the fuel injection stack 16 intermediate the ends thereof.

Each compressed air tube 18 is provided With a fuel nozzle or jet 20. The nozzle 20 is located in the interior of the compressed air tube 18 and is dispersed so asto spray fuel down the compressed air tube toward the interior of the fuel injection stack 16. The fuel nozzle' 20 is coupled through the wall of the compressed air tube 18 to a fuel fitting 22. The fuel fitting 22 on each com-- pressed air tube 18 is coupled to the outlet port of means to provide an even flow of fuel such as fuel float chamber 24. This coupling may be made by a length of tubing 26 made of copper, steel, rubber or any other suitable material. The inlet port of the fuel chamber 24 is connected to the discharge port of a fuel pump 28. The inlet port of the fuel pump 28 is connected to a source of fuel such as a fuel tank (not shown).

Each fuel injection stack 16 is provided with means to control the intake of fuel mixture such as a throttle butterfly valve 30. The throttle butterfly valve 30 may. be disposed within the fuel injection stack 16 between the compressed air tube 18 and the intake port 12. Each throttle butterfly valve 30 may be coupled to a single throttle shaft 32 for simultaneous rotation thereof. The throttle shaft 32 is connecte'd'by means of a suitable mechanical linkage 34 to a throttle control 36.- Each fuel injection stack 16 is also provided with a fuel mixture control which may be a choke butterfly valve 38. The choke butterfly valve 38 may be disposed within the fuel injection stack 16 between the compressed air tube 18 and the end thereof open to atmosphere. Each choke butterfly valve 38 may also be coupled to a single shaft 40 for simultaneous rotation thereof by manual or automatic means.

Each compressed air tube 18 is coupled to a corresponding outlet or discharge port 42 on a compressed air distributor 44. This coupling may be made by means of lengths of tubing 46 of a suitable material such as copper, rubber or the like. An inlet port 48 on the air distributor 44 is coupled to a source of compressed air such as air compressor 50 by a length of suitable tub: ing'52. f

The compressed air distributor 44 is provided with a vacuum advance engaging means or actuating member 56 protruding therefrom. The vacuum advance actuat-f ing member 56 is coupled by means of a mechanical linkage 58 to a vacuum operated mechanism 60 which may be of the diaphragm type. The vacuum operated mechanism 60 is secured to the engine 10 by means not shown and is coupled by means of a length of tubing 62 to one fuel injection stack 16. The vacuum tubing 62 communicates with the interior of the fuel injection stack 16 at a point between the throttle valve 30 and. the junction with the intake port 12 of the engine 10.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3 and 4, the construction of the compressed air distributor 44 in accordance with the invention will become more readily apparent. There is provided a housing or case 64 which along with a cover 66 defines a cylindrical chamber 68. The wall of the case 64 defining the chamber 68 is reduced in thickness in selected areas to form a plurality of symmetrically located elongated peripheral channels 70. The discharge port 42 extends through the wall of the case 64 at one end of each channel 70. A channel 70 and a discharge port 42 may be provided for each fuel injection stack 16; V

' Rotatably disposed within the chamber 68 is a rotor 74 having a trough-like channel or passage 76. In the bottom of the case 64 a centrally disposed circular opening 72 is provided. The passage 76 in the rotor 74 registers with'the opening 72 and is adapted to selectively communicate With the peripheral channels 70 in the wall of'the case '64. As the rotor 74 rotates the passage 76 alternately provides communication from the central opening 72 to each of'the discharge ports 42. Means for rotating the rotor 74 such as a shaft 54 is provided. The shaft 54 extends into the chamber 68 through the opening 72 in'the bottom of the 'case 64. The opening 72 is of suflicient size to allow 'a free flow of compressed air into the chamber 68 around the shaft 54. The upper portion of the driving shaft 54 extends through the cover 66 and is journalled in a cap 78 Which may be secured to the air distributor cover 66 by means of screws 80. The lower portion of the shaft 54 may be in the form of a flatted tank 82 which may engageably extend'through a centrally disposed slot 84in the rotor 74.

The tang 82 of the shaft 54 further extends into engagement with a slot in a member driven by the engine which maybe an ignition distributor shaft 86. Thus the rotor 74 will provide communication between the central opening 72 in the case 64 and each of the discharge ports 42 in time d relation with the combustion cycle of the engine 10.

The compressed air distributor 44 may be secured to the top of an ignition distributor 88 by means of bolts 90 extending thro-ugh holes 92 provided in the cover 66, 'case 64 and into the ignition distributor 88. The compressed air inlet port 48 which is coupled to the air compressor 50 extends through the wall of the ignition distributor 88. p

The ignition distributor 88 includes an electrical rotor 93rotatably mounted in a housing 94. The rotor 93 is rotated by the through-going shaft 86. An electrical collector ring 95 is afiixed to the top of the electrical rotor 93 and encircles the shaft 86. A brush 96 is provided to supply electrical power from a coil, not shown, to the collector ring 95. The brush 96 is mounted, in an L-shaped extension 97 of the wall of housing 94 as shov 11. Individual spark plugterminals 98 are affixed to the wall of housing. 94 and are in. electrical communication with the rotor 93 through electrical contacts 99. A set of breaker points are provided in the base of the distributor in well known manner and are not, therefore, shown or described.

Means are provided for automatically varying the t'me relative to the combustion cycle of the engine at which the rotor passage 76 communicates with the discharge ports 42 and also the relative effective area of the dscharge ports .42 in accordance with the varying requirements of the engine 10. In accordance with the invention, this may be accomplished by providing a circular member or cup 100 disposed over and around the rotor 74. The cup 100 is provided with peripheral notches or slots 101 corresponding to the channels 70 in the Wall of the chamber 68 of the air distributor 44. At one-end of each slot isan outwardly flowing projection or memher 102. which extends into the corresponding channel 70. The end of each member 102 is formed into a lip 103 extending along the wall of the channel 70 toward the discharge port 42. As the cup 100 is rotated slightiy between the case 64 and the rotor 74, the lengths of the channels 70 available to the rotor passage 76 and the areas of the discharge ports 42 is varied. Thus the cup 100 effectively shortens each of said channels 70 and ultimately closes each discharge port 42.

The cup 100 is provided with means for engaging the vacuum advance actuating member 56 such as fiatted aperture 104. The aperture 104 is of a size to permit the shaft 54 to freely rotate therein. The actuating member 56 is also provided with an opening for the shaft 54. A portion of the actuating member 56 extends down along the shaft 54-and is of -a flatted configuration to engage the flatted aperture 104 in the top of the cup 100. i It will be understood .by those skilled in the art that gaskets or other sealing means may be employed where necessary throughout the fuel injection system of the present invention.

In operation the air compressor 50 supplies a continuous stream of compressed air to the air distributor 44 through the tubing 52. The compressed air enters the air distributor 44 through the inlet port 48, the ignition distributor housing 94 and the; opening 72 in the bottom of the air distributor case 64; The compressed air then enters the passage 76 in the rotor 74. The rotor 74 would be rotating in a clockwise direction as viewed from the top of the engine 10 for the particular air distributor 44 construction illustrated in Figure 4. The rotor 74 is driven by means of the driving shaft 54. The tang 82 on the shaft 54, engages the slot 84 in the rotor 74 and also engages the slot in the ignition distributor shaft 86 which is being driven by the engine 10.

As the rotor 74 rotates, the passage 76 registers sequentially with the slots 101 in the cup 100. When the cup is in the advanced position which is its maximum counter-clockwise position, the compressed air can flow to the outlet port 42 before the passage 76 actually reaches the outlet port 42. This it does by traversing the peripheral channel 70 in the wall of the air distributor case 64. As the cup 100 is retarded or rotated clockwise the channel 70 is effectively shortened and the air reaches the outlet port 42 at a later relative time. As the cup 100 is further retarded the lip 103 protruding from the cup 100 begins to close off the outiet port 42 until ultimately no air reaches the outlet port 42. Thus rotating the cup 100 controls the relative time of occurrence of a compressed air pulse at the outlet port 42, the time of duration of the compressed air pulse and the amount of air supplied to theoutlet port 42.

The compressed air pulses are supplied from the air distributor 44 to the fuel injection stacks 16 by means of the tubing 46. The tubing 46 is so connected that each fuel injection stack 16 receives its pulse when its related cylinder 14 is in the intake phase of the combustion cycle. Each compressed air pulse enters the compressed air tube 18 Where it flows past the fuel nozzle 20.

The fuel pump. 28 pumps fuel from a fuel tank, not shown, to the fuel chamber 24 where the fuel pump pulsations are removed. The fuel is supplied from the fuel chamber 24 to each fuel nozzle 20 by'means of the tubing 26. The fiow ofair past'the nozzle 20'causes it to emit a fine spray or mist of fuel into the air stream. The pulses of vaporized fuel enter the fuel injectionstack 16 from the compressed air tube 18. The vaporized fuel is. mixed with air from the atmosphere entering theopen end of the fuel injection stack 16. The ratio of the mixture of air to fuel is controlled by the position of the choke butterfly valve 38. The fuel mixture then enters the intake port '12 of the engine'10 in an amountdeten mined by the position of the throttle butterfly valve 30.

The position of the cup 100 and thus the amount of advance of the timing of the compressed air burst is controlled by the vacuum produced by the engine 10. The vacuum produced at the intake port 12 of the engine 10 is communicated to the vacuum operated mechanism 60 by means of tube 62; The vacuum operated mechanism 60'produces a mechanical motion, as' by means' of a diaphragm, in the linkage 58. The linkage 58 operatesthe actuating member 56 which rotates the cup 100. Thus conditions of engine speed and load conditions and throttle valve opening control the amount and timing of injected fuel.

Thus has been described a novel and inexpensive fuel injection system for supplying pulses of vaporized fuel to an internal combustion engine in timed relation to the combustion cycle of the engine and in which the timing and amount of the fuel supplied is varied according to the demands of the engine.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that Within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders comprising a venturi tube for each cylinder of said engine, a fuel injection nozzle mounted in each venturi tube, means for supplying fuel to said nozzles, and means for supplying bursts of compressed air to said venturi tubes in timed cycles.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers, of a plurality of fuel injection stacks, each of said stacks being individually coupled to one of said combustion chambers, each of said stacks including a compressed air tube having a fuel nozzle disposed therein, a fuel source coupled to each of said nozzles, an air distributor having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, each of said outlet ports being individually coupled to one of said compressed air tubes, means disposed within said air distributor for selectively placing said inlet port in hydraulic communication with each of said outlet ports in timed relation with the combustion cycle of said engine and a source of compressed air coupled to said inlet port.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine including a plurality of combustion chambers, each of said combustion chambers having an individual fuel intake port, of a conduit associated with each of said intake ports, one end of each of said conduits being individually coupled to said intake ports and the other end of each of said conduits communicating with the atmosphere, a venturi tube individually associated with each of said conduits and communicating with the interior of said conduits intermediate the ends thereof a nozzle disposed within each venturi tube, a fuel source coupled to each of said nozzles, an air distributor having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, and a source of compressed air coupled to said inlet port, each of said outlet ports being individually coupled to said venturi tubes.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine including a plurality of combustion chambers, each of said combustion chambers having an individual fuel intake port, of a plurality of fuel injection stacks, each of said stacks being individually coupled to one of said intake ports, each of said stacks including a compressed air tube having a fuel nozzle disposed therein, a fuel source coupled to each of said nozzles, an air distributor housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, a source of compressed air coupled to said inlet port, each of said outlet ports being individually coupled to said compressed air tubes, and a rotor disposed within said housing, said rotor having a channel therein for selectively communicating between said inlet port and each of said outlet ports, said rotor rotating in timed relation with the combustion cycle of said engine.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine including a plurality of combustion chambers, each of said combustion chambers having an individual fuel intake port, of a conduit associated with each of said intake ports, one end of each of said conduits being individually coupled to said intake ports and the other end of each of said conduits communicating with the atmosphere, a venturi tube communicating with the interior of each of said conduits intermediate the ends thereof, a nozzle disposed within each venturi tube, a source of fuel, a float chamber, a fuel pump coupled between said source and said chamber for pumping fuel from said source into said chamber, each of said nozzles being coupled to said chamber to receive fuel therefrom, an air compressor, an air distributor housing, said housing having an inlet port coupled to said compressor to receive compressed air therefrom, a rotor within said housing, said housing having an outlet port for each of said combustion chambers, said rotor having a channel therein for selectively communicating between said inlet port and each of said outlet ports, each of said outlet ports being individually coupled to one of said venturi tubes, said rotor rotating in timed relation with the combustion cycle of said engine, whereby each of said venturi tubes receives a burst of compressed air during the intake period of its associated combustion chamber, means associated with said air distributor for automatically varying the timed relation of said bursts of compressed air in accord with the requirements of said engine, a throttle valve disposed within each of said conduits intermediate said intake port and said venturi tube, and a choke valve disposed within each of said conduits intermediate the ends thereof communicating with the atmosphere and said venturi tube.

6. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder having a fuel intake port the combination comprising a conduit, one end of said conduit communicating with said intake port and the other end of said conduit communicating with the atmosphere, a venturi tube, one end of said venturi tube communicating with the interior of said conduit intermediate the ends thereof, means coupled to the other end of said venturi tube for supplying bursts of compressed air thereto, said bursts of compressed air having a predetermined timed relation to the cycle of said engine, a nozzle disposed within said venturi tube, a source of fuel coupled to said nozzle, a throttle valve disposed within said conduit intermediate said intake port and said venturi tube, and a choke valve disposed Within said conduit intermediate the end thereof communicating with the atmosphere and said venturi tube.

7. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine including a plurality of combustion chambers and a fuel injection conduit coupled to each combustion chamber, the improvement comprising a venturi tube communicating with the interior of said conduit intermediate the ends thereof, a nozzle disposed within said venturi tube, a first valve disposed within said conduit intermediate one end thereof and said venturi tube, and a second valve disposed within said conduit intermediate the other end thereof and said venturi tube.

8. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder having a fuel intake port the combination comprising a body defining a cylinder passage, one end of said passage being coupled to said intake port and the other end of said passage being open to the atmosphere, a venturi having one end coupled to the outside of said body and opening into said cylindrical passage intermediate the ends thereof, means coupled to the other end of said venturi for supplying bursts of compressed air thereto, said bursts of compressed air having a timed relation with the cycle of said engine, a nozzle within said venturi and directed toward said passage, a source of fuel coupled to said nozzle, a throttle valve within said passage intermediate said intake port and said venturi, and a choke valve within said passage intermediate the end open to the atmosphere and said venturi.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,447,423 Nies Aug. 17, 1948 2,552,609 White May 15, 1951 2,599,915 Hersch June 10, 1952 2,612,341 Bridgefield Sept. 30, 1952 2,623,509 Gold et al Dec. 30, 1952 2,773,140 Guernsey et a1 Dec. 4, 1956 2,828,952 Winkler Apr. 1, 1958 2,847,983 Dietrich Aug. 19, 1958 2,863,433 Sarto Dec. 9, 1958 2,880,713 Hudspeth et al Apr. 7, 1959 

